Seamless-tube-rolling mill.



H J. 0. HARKNESS. SEAMLESS TUBE ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1908.

988,569, Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

I e 2 BHEBTS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses: lav/anion am W M fad/5 J. G. HARKNESS.

SBAMLESS TUBE ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT ZB, 1908.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.Zlv ezziazt- To all whom it may cancer/in tions which form between the rolls openings UNITED STATES PA ENT c ar on.

JOSEPH c. Hanxnnss, on noanm, onro.

' snmnnss-runn-nonnwe mm.

Be -it known that I, Jo'snrn C. HARKNnss,

a citizen of the UnitedStates of America,

residing at Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SeamlessTube- Rolling Mills; and I hereby declare the 011 lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such :as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use thesa'me.

This invention relates to improvements in seamless tube rolling mills.

The object of the invention is the provision of a rolling mill by; means of which seamless tubes can be more quickly, easily and cheaply produced, than with the apparatus and methods heretofore employed.

In carrying out my invention I provide a plurality of sets of rolls having shaping porthrough which the metal or stock passes, the

openings between the rolls of the diflerent sets being of successively decreasing size, and provide a plurality of mandrels which are supported in a line between the difierent sets of rolls so as to cooperate therewith, the whole being so arranged that themetal or stock will pass successively through the different sets of rolls and over the corresponding mandrels,.the number of rolls and mandrels beingsuch that a tube of proper shape and length is formed when the metal passes the last set of: rolls. a Each of the mandrels is preferably provided with a header forming portion which cotiperates with the rolls and with a shank which extends toward the next adjacent set and is supported preferably by means of a supporting yoke or bar. In order that there may be no interruption in the rolling process I provide means for.

shifting the supports for the several man-.

drels out of the path of'the oncoming metal so that the tube may be formed by a continuous forward movement through the rolls.

My inventionmay be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification andse forth in the appended claims. a

In the accompanyingdrawings Figure -1 is a vertical sectional-elevation of a portion.

of my improved rolling mill for forming seamless tubes, said figure showing two sets of forming or shaping rolls; of the doubleor twin type and showing a partially formed 7 Specification of Letters Intent. Application filed September as, race. Serial No. 455,089..

Patented he. 4, 1911.

tube in the process of being rolled Fig. 2 s aplan view of the same" In carrying out my invention, as many sets of rolls as is necessary or desired may be employed in the series but in the drawings I have shown only two sets, the rolls of one set being designated respectively 10 and 11 I andthe rolls of the nextadjacent set being designated 12 and 13. The rolls here shown are each provided with two peripheral grooves or concave port1ons,,the concave portions of the upper rolls forming between the rollsnopenings of a shape corresponding to the desired shape of the tubes which in this case will be circular. By referring to the figures of the drawings it will be seen that the shaping or rolling portions and consequently the openings between the rolls of the first set are largerthan the openings between the rolls of the second set, and in my improved rolling mill or apparatus the openings between the rolls of the several sets will preferably be of successively decreasing sizes from the first set to the last set, so that the external diameter of thetube will be gradually decreased as it passes through the rolls. Each set of rolls is supported in bearings of any suitable character between uprights and standards 14: and 15, each pair of standards being connected together at, the top by a cross bar 16. At leastone of the shafts of each set of rolls extends beyond the corresponding set of uprights and is provided at its outer end with a suitable driving gear 17. The two "rolls of each set of rolls are provided with intermeshing gears 18 and 18" of a of carrying rolls 21, each being preferably provided with concave portions 22 in line with the shaping or forming oortio'n's of the main roll, these carrying-"rails serving to carry the metal or partially formed tubes from one set of shaping or forming rolls to the next adjacent set. The different carry-i ing rolls are simultaneously d iven from a" shaft 23 by means of gear wheils 23, one of which is on each of the rolls 21, and by 25likowise extending between the cross bars means of idler gears 24- mountcd on shafts" it v ,For' eachset of main rolls there are two "mandrels 26,-which during the rollingprocess are horizontal and each is provided with a shaping orfforming head consisting of a conical nose 27'and a short cylindrical po'rtion 28 which cylindrical portion is located between the rolls during the rolling or shaping process, and each is also provided with a long shank 29, the rear end of which extends for a short distance within a recess 30 ofa supporting yoke or cross mem- ".fber 31, which bears against two-of the s'tandards' which support the two rolls of "I the next adjacent set.' A portion of each (if the mandrels corresponding to the rolls 12 and 13 is shown at 32', and it will be seen 1 that these mandrels are directly in line with-the mandrels 26 and that the nose 33 ofq'each mandrel 32 is adjacent toand at the j rear of the yoke 31 which supportsthe man- 'IdI'elS 26. The heads of the mandrels corpreferably'of thesame size or diameter so.

responding to. the several sets of rolls are I that the internal diameter of'the metal stock will remain practically the same durthrough the rolls '10 and 11, its external diameter is decreased and its length is increased. It will also be seen that the metal or partially formed tube on passing through the rolls 10 and 11 will move longitudinally of the shank 29 of the mandrel and will lie the oncoming metal.

carried by the carrying rolls toward the next adjacent set of rolls 12 and 13 and toward the head of the mandrel between said rolls. Before the forward end of the partially formed tube can pass to the adjacent set\of rolls it is necessary tha the yoke 31 be lowered or-moved out of the path of I shall now describe the part of the apparatus whereby this is accomplished.

Secured to the uprights supporting twoadjacent sets of rolls and above the rolls arecross bars 35. Extending between the bars 35 1s a rock shaft 36 provided at one end with an arm 37 secured thereto, and extending between the two bars 16 mounted on thev upper ends of the pair of uprights 14 and lfi'supportingeacli set of rolls is a cross bar 38. Also secured tothe rock shaft vertically above the two mandrels are two downwardly extending arms 39 longer than the arm 37 one of the arms 39'being shown in Eig. 1. To the lower end of each arm 39 1s plvoted an arm 40 which extends toward therolls 10 and 11. Each of the arms 40 is suspended by a rod, cable, or other device 41 from the cross bar 38, and is thereb nor mally kept out of engagement .with 1? capparatus below the same. It'will that after the rear endof the .inetal passesbeyond the head of the mandrelQ'ifllthegff shaft 36 isrocked and the ahms39'areswung toward the rolls-10 'and. 1j1,- the--'free v end of each arm.4c0 will-swing downward towardv the shoulder formed by, the head of; the corresponding mandrel, and the parts gitudinally and the rear end 'ofthe mandrel will pass from the recess in the'yoke. To rock the shaft, in order to so shift the end of the mandrel from the yoke, I have connected to the outer end of the arm 37-, which is attached to the end of the shaft 36, a piston rod 42 which is connectedto a piston 43 located within a cylinder 44 which may receive a motive fluid of any suitable char acter. The passage of the motive-fluid to the cylinder may be controlled by hand, the force or pressure'of the fluid in the cylinder being sufficient to .cause the engagement of the arms 40 against the shoulders of the mandrels to kick'the mandrels free of the yoke 31. When the yoke 31 and the shank- 29 of each, mandrel are free of each other,- the ygke may be lowered in any suitable manner, but in the present case said yoke is connected to a piston rod 15, which in turn is connected to a piston 16 located within a cylinder 47. The passage of the motive fluid to thiscylinder so as to operate the yoke 31 may also be controlled by hand. It is to be understood that this same appa ratus will be provided for each set of rolls and mandrels, and that the different supporting yokes and mandrels will be successively shifted in the manner above described. Thus it will be seen that, after the metal passes through one set of rolls and the rear end of the partially formed tube is free of the head of the corresponding mandrel, before the forward-end reaches the yoke 31, the piston 43 will be actuated and the mandrel is" shifted free of the yoke by admitting .the motive fluid to the cylinder 44. Immediately after the mandrel is shifted the yoke 31 is lowered by admitting the motive fluid to cylinder' 47, and the partially formedtube is then free .to pass without in'terruptionto the next adj aeent rolls. The same process of shifting the mandrels and the supporting yoke is carried out for each set ofrolls so that the metal can pass without interruption ?to as many sets of rolls and'over as many mandrels as is desired or necessary to produce a tube of the proper thickness of shell or' wall, and of proper length, the external diameter on dimensions ofgth e tube gandfthethicknesu of the metal walla beinggradiially decreased. ,as the .metal parture from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is,

1. In combination, in a seamless tube rolling mill, a pair of cooperating rolls having shaping or forming portions, a mandrel cooperating with said rolls, a support for the rear end of the mandrel, said support and mandrel having horizontally extending overlapping portions, means for shifting the mandrellongitudinally after the metal has passed the forward end thereof so as to cause the mandrel and support to be disengaged, and means for moving said support transversely'outof the path of the oncoming metal. A

2. In combination, in a seamless tube rolling mill, a pair of rolls having forming or shaping portions through which the metal is adapted to be forced, a mandrel cooperating with said rolls and having a shaping or forming head at its forward end, a support for the rear end of the mandrel, said support having a socket in which the rear end of the mandrel projects horizontally, means for shifting said mandrel longitudinally when the metal passesbeyond the forward'end thereof so that the mandrel is clear of the support, and means for shifting said support transversely out of the path of the oncoming metal.

3. In combination, in a seamless tube rolling mill, a plurality of sets of rolls arranged in a row or series, said rolls having shaping or forming portions of succcssivel varying sizes, a series of mandrels arrange in a line and each cooperating with one set of rolls, said mandrels having shaping or forming portions at their forward ends, a support for the rear end of each mandrel, the supports and the mandrels corresponding thereto having horizontally extending overlap ing portions, means i for successively shi ting said mandrcls longitudinally-but of engagement with their respective supports so that the overlapping portions are disengaged, and means for successively shifting said supports transversely out of the path of the oncoming metal. I

4. In combination, in a seamless tube rolling mill, a plurality of sets of rolls arranged in a row or series, said rolls having shaping or forming portions of successively var ingsizes, a series of mandrels arranged in a inc, each mandrel cooperating with one set of rolls and having a shaping or forming portion at its forward end, a support for the rear end of each mandrel, said support having a socket in which the mandrel extends, means for shifting each mandrel longitudinally out of. engagement with its support when the metal passes beyond the shaping or forming portion at its-forward end, and means for shifting the 511 port for each mandrel out of the path 0? the oncoming metal.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two'witnesses.

JOSEPH C. I'IARKNESS. Witnesses VICTOR O. LYNCH, N. L. MCDONNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

